Jared Flores
Annotation 11: Trashed
1.Title, director, and release year?
Trashed, directed by Bill Kirkos, released in 2007
2.What is the central argument or narrative of the film?
The central argument of the film is that we as a people produce too much waste. The amount of garbage produced in America annually is increasing, with the current rate being 400 million tons of garbage each year. The garbage is not being disposed of properly, mostly being piled into landfills. There are over 10,000 landfills in America currently, all of which are harmful to the environment. This is because landfills leak, contaminating our water and polluting our air. The film states that disposing of garbage in landfills is a very lucrative business, but people are trying to find alternative ways to either dispose of or reuse waste. The film also argues that in order to fix this problem, our culture must not only become sustainable, but restorative as well. This way, we not only don’t produce waste; we help to reduce the amount that is already in the environment.
3.What sustainability problems does this film draw out?
The main sustainability problem that this film draws out is cultural sustainability. Frankly, we are a very wasteful people. Studies show that Americans throw out 20,000 cars, 4,000 trucks, and 42,000 pounds of food every day. We have been trained to think that if something stops working, or if we want a better version of something, we can just throw our old models away. The media has trained us to think that there is no need to repair things, and hold on to them for as long as their lifetime allows. We have also lost the “finish your supper or no dessert” mentality that classic American families once had. We tend to take portions that are too big, and then are unable to finish them, so we just throw out the remainder, effectively wasting a great deal of food.
Another sustainability problem that this film draws out is economic sustainability. Simply put, businesses are able to create landfills and bury trash because it makes them money. The solid waste industry is able to accumulate $43 billion per year simply by disposing of trash. The garbage disposal business is very lucrative, and the economy has allowed this to happen, simply because people want their garbage dealt with. Since the year 2004, Michigan has allowed for 10 million tons of garbage to be buried in state borders. They did this because they were paid large sums of money to allow this.
4.What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why?
One part of the film I found persuasive was the part where the elementary school students were protesting the construction of a landfill across from their school. This part demonstrated the carelessness of waste disposal companies, that they would contaminate an area right next to a school filled with children. Even kids so young knew that this was wrong, and voiced their concern by way of protesting. This part of the film inspired me, to see such small children trying to fight back against the waste disposal industry.
Another part of the film I found compelling was the part where that company owner talked about how he wanted his company to be restorative. This company would gather waste and recycle it. They would take things such as carpet and fashion new carpets out of them, not wasting anything. This man clearly had a vision, a dream if you will, and he was doing his part to make it come true. It’s truly inspirational to see such ambition, and to see people do the best that they can to help the environment.
5.What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by?
The one part of the film that I was not compelled by was the part with the garbage pickers. I do not think that routing through trash to find food is something that can really speak to a wide audience. They themselves even said that most people would find this act repulsive, and I am one of those people. It just doesn’t seem like a good way to convince people to stop wasting food. Instead of getting all your nourishment from garbage, one could try to raise awareness by showing them the things they throw away, instead of eating them like some sort of homeless person.
6.What additional information does this film compel you to seek out? Where do you want to dig deeper and what connections do you want to make with other issues, factors, problems, etc.?
I would like to find more information on companies that are truly recycling material. I have heard from other films that most recyclable materials end up in landfills anyways, so I would like to learn what people are actually doing their part to reduce the amount of waste in the environment. Additionally, I would like to find more information about landfills in the United States. I want to learn how many there are, where they are put, and what kind of damage they are causing. Also, this film compels me to find out how other countries deal with their waste. This film mostly focused on America, so I would like to discover is other countries are setting any examples that we should be following.
7.What audience does this film best address? What kind of imagination is fostered in viewers? Do you think the film is likely to change the way viewers think about and act on environmental problems?
This film best addresses an audience that seeks to help the environment. Waste production and overconsumption is a problem which many Americans have, and it is not an easy problem to deal with. However, this film shows exactly what effect all of this waste production is having on America. The film also shows what some people are doing to help alleviate this problem. I believe that seeing this film will help inspire people to do their part for the environment in any small way they can, whether that means reducing their daily consumption, recycling more, or by helping to gather litter from local areas.
8.What kinds of action or points of intervention are suggested by the film?
This film suggests many ways in which we can do our part to help solve the problem. Since e-waste is hard to dispose of, people could stop buying from companies that don’t properly dispose of their waste. Also, people could contribute to companies whose main focus is to recycle old materials and products and make new products out of them. People could also support restaurants like Scoma’s, which recycle or compost 95% of their waste. Another thing people could do is petition the government to cut down on the income that waste disposal companies make for making landfills.
9.What could have been added to the film to enhance its environmental educational value?
I think this film would have done well to include more information about the waste situations in other countries. In many ways it’s a good thing that this film was so focused on the problem in America, but if America is going about this situation the wrong way, what is the right way? Surely there are other countries out there that use correct methods of disposing of waste, reducing waste, and recycling. I believe that the film should have tried to take examples from other countries and apply them to the suggested solutions.
Annotation 11: Trashed
1. Title, director, and release year?
Trashed, directed by Bill Kirkos, released in 2007
2. What is the central argument or narrative of the film?
The central argument of the film is that we as a people produce too much waste. The amount of garbage produced in America annually is increasing, with the current rate being 400 million tons of garbage each year. The garbage is not being disposed of properly, mostly being piled into landfills. There are over 10,000 landfills in America currently, all of which are harmful to the environment. This is because landfills leak, contaminating our water and polluting our air. The film states that disposing of garbage in landfills is a very lucrative business, but people are trying to find alternative ways to either dispose of or reuse waste. The film also argues that in order to fix this problem, our culture must not only become sustainable, but restorative as well. This way, we not only don’t produce waste; we help to reduce the amount that is already in the environment.
3. What sustainability problems does this film draw out?
The main sustainability problem that this film draws out is cultural sustainability. Frankly, we are a very wasteful people. Studies show that Americans throw out 20,000 cars, 4,000 trucks, and 42,000 pounds of food every day. We have been trained to think that if something stops working, or if we want a better version of something, we can just throw our old models away. The media has trained us to think that there is no need to repair things, and hold on to them for as long as their lifetime allows. We have also lost the “finish your supper or no dessert” mentality that classic American families once had. We tend to take portions that are too big, and then are unable to finish them, so we just throw out the remainder, effectively wasting a great deal of food.
Another sustainability problem that this film draws out is economic sustainability. Simply put, businesses are able to create landfills and bury trash because it makes them money. The solid waste industry is able to accumulate $43 billion per year simply by disposing of trash. The garbage disposal business is very lucrative, and the economy has allowed this to happen, simply because people want their garbage dealt with. Since the year 2004, Michigan has allowed for 10 million tons of garbage to be buried in state borders. They did this because they were paid large sums of money to allow this.
4. What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why?
One part of the film I found persuasive was the part where the elementary school students were protesting the construction of a landfill across from their school. This part demonstrated the carelessness of waste disposal companies, that they would contaminate an area right next to a school filled with children. Even kids so young knew that this was wrong, and voiced their concern by way of protesting. This part of the film inspired me, to see such small children trying to fight back against the waste disposal industry.
Another part of the film I found compelling was the part where that company owner talked about how he wanted his company to be restorative. This company would gather waste and recycle it. They would take things such as carpet and fashion new carpets out of them, not wasting anything. This man clearly had a vision, a dream if you will, and he was doing his part to make it come true. It’s truly inspirational to see such ambition, and to see people do the best that they can to help the environment.
5. What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by?
The one part of the film that I was not compelled by was the part with the garbage pickers. I do not think that routing through trash to find food is something that can really speak to a wide audience. They themselves even said that most people would find this act repulsive, and I am one of those people. It just doesn’t seem like a good way to convince people to stop wasting food. Instead of getting all your nourishment from garbage, one could try to raise awareness by showing them the things they throw away, instead of eating them like some sort of homeless person.
6. What additional information does this film compel you to seek out? Where do you want to dig deeper and what connections do you want to make with other issues, factors, problems, etc.?
I would like to find more information on companies that are truly recycling material. I have heard from other films that most recyclable materials end up in landfills anyways, so I would like to learn what people are actually doing their part to reduce the amount of waste in the environment. Additionally, I would like to find more information about landfills in the United States. I want to learn how many there are, where they are put, and what kind of damage they are causing. Also, this film compels me to find out how other countries deal with their waste. This film mostly focused on America, so I would like to discover is other countries are setting any examples that we should be following.
7. What audience does this film best address? What kind of imagination is fostered in viewers? Do you think the film is likely to change the way viewers think about and act on environmental problems?
This film best addresses an audience that seeks to help the environment. Waste production and overconsumption is a problem which many Americans have, and it is not an easy problem to deal with. However, this film shows exactly what effect all of this waste production is having on America. The film also shows what some people are doing to help alleviate this problem. I believe that seeing this film will help inspire people to do their part for the environment in any small way they can, whether that means reducing their daily consumption, recycling more, or by helping to gather litter from local areas.
8. What kinds of action or points of intervention are suggested by the film?
This film suggests many ways in which we can do our part to help solve the problem. Since e-waste is hard to dispose of, people could stop buying from companies that don’t properly dispose of their waste. Also, people could contribute to companies whose main focus is to recycle old materials and products and make new products out of them. People could also support restaurants like Scoma’s, which recycle or compost 95% of their waste. Another thing people could do is petition the government to cut down on the income that waste disposal companies make for making landfills.
9. What could have been added to the film to enhance its environmental educational value?
I think this film would have done well to include more information about the waste situations in other countries. In many ways it’s a good thing that this film was so focused on the problem in America, but if America is going about this situation the wrong way, what is the right way? Surely there are other countries out there that use correct methods of disposing of waste, reducing waste, and recycling. I believe that the film should have tried to take examples from other countries and apply them to the suggested solutions.